Cut out the Crap: "Super Mum" Ange Altuneg

Whilst writing Cut out the Crap and before I had the twins I had the priviledge of working for this "Super Mum"....I met her when I went to do one days temp work and she was almost 8 months pregnant with Baby #4 (her little girl) she asked me back to work one day the next week and when I turned up her hubby came in and said she had only just had the baby that morning (5 weeks early) and I was left to run the business for that day as best as I could! I must have done something right as I was there for over 2 years and only left when things got super busy with the book and I was due to have my twins! We had a great relationship at work. I respected her as a boss but when she was there we chatted like life long friends. Over 18 months later we still speak regularly although we don't catch up as much as we would like, but when you read all that she does, you will see why! 4 kids and running a busy Optometry practice and so many other things makes this "every day" Mum a "SUPER MUM" in my eyes......

“Ange Altuneg”

One big happy family!

Tell us a little bit about you and your family?

I am a wife and mother of four awesome children. Alex 14, Chris 12, Sam 8 and then our daughter Mattea almost 4.

Our weekly family life is hectic and we also run a business, we have an Optometry practice, Eyes by Design at Kincumber for the last 14 years. It's our other baby.

I grew up in The Hills district of Sydney. I am one of three children, I have two brothers one older one younger. I am the middle child. But please don't let that put you off.

I left school in Year 10 at 15 years of age. I was never a good student. I went to business college then started working as a trainee for an accountant. I remember my first boss Philip having a conversation with me saying I needed to decide if I wanted to be a secretary or an accountant. At 16 all I wanted to think about was boys and going out with my friends. Now I had to make decisions about my future.

I have always had a personality where I don't want to disappoint people. So I secretly applied to TAFE as a mature age student to study accountancy and almost wet myself when I was accepted!! For the next four years I worked five days a week and studied three nights a week! I left this job after my first year of study and got a job working for Coopers & Lybrand now PriceWaterhouseCoopers as an administration trainee. It was my foot in the door. A year after starting this job my parents decided they wanted to relocate to the central coast. Being their only daughter and still living at home I felt obligated to give it a go on the central coast and told them I would try it for 12 months. That is when the big commute started travelling from Gosford to the City on the train each day and still studying at night but now at TAFE at Ourimbah University!! They were huge days and I still don't know how I did it!! After 12 months of working at PriceWaterhouseCoopers I was offered a position as a trainee accountant . I was thrilled!

After being on the central coast for about 18 months I met my now husband Nick. It was an almost instant connection and we were engaged in 3 months an married on the eve of the day we met! What a whirlwind!! After we married and after many discussion with Nick I realised that working for an accountant wasn't for me (I couldn't lock my personality up in a box). He was an Optometrist working for a corporate and couldn't practice Optometry the way he wanted either and treat the patients as he felt was best treatment for them. So we took a leap of faith and both gave up our jobs to start up our Optometry Practice Eyes by Design at Kincumber.

This is where my love affair with Optometry and business started. I could use my accounting skills and the both of us together could also make a difference helping people. We decided since being tied down to a business we would start a family straight away and I feel it was the best decision we could have made.

My four children amaze me!!! Alex is my first born has very gentle soul with a wicked sense of humour and is very academic. I am now having to look up at him when I speak to him as he is becoming so tall like his dad. Chris my second born son I think is a born leader. Anything I ask of him I can depend on him to just get it done! He is much like me in this way. He is talented at soccer and is always getting in trouble for dribbling his ball through the house!! Then there is Sam. His older brothers would call him a mummy's boy. He is a charmer and very mischievious one but has also had lots of challenges with his skin. He has severe eczema has done since 12 months of age. We have had so many appointments with specialists etc to work out what treatments to use and also allergy testing which meant a change of diet. He is allergic to casein in dairy and boardline wheat allergy. I agree he is a mummy's boy but I think it is because of the application of creams multiple times a day and night. Then there is our princess Mattea. We thought our family was complete before she came along but we were so wrong!!! She never stops smiling and is nicknamed "The giggle pot!" She is so girly which is surprising growing up with 3 big brothers (boy are they protective)! She loves to sing and dance and put on a show for her family!

Even with working fulltime running a business,
Ange makes time for fun, quality,
family time.

What one ingredient can you not live without and why?

I find it very difficult to choose just one ingredient as I have so many favourites.... but my all time favourite would be fresh herbs. They can add so much flavour to any type of meal and very quickly too. Some of my favourites are continental parsley, basil, mint, saffron and sumac! One herb I never cook with is Corriander I just do not like the flavour at all!

If you had half an hour to cook dinner and realized you didn’t have anything planned, what would you cook?

I always have a meal or two frozen in the freezer for nights I am at a pinch with time. Otherwise I throw together a tuna mornay, spaghetti bolognaise, tacos or the odd toasted sandwich.

Ange and her eldest son on a family holiday

What is once piece of advice you can pass on to other busy mums?

Make time for yourself!!! For many years I put everyone else's needs before my own! I am still guilty of it from time to time. Old habits are hard to break. But after having the children I lost myself for awhile as I was being everything to everyone else and not doing it all that well either.

I now make time to have date night at least once a month with my gorgeous husband. What greater gift can I give my children than a mum and dad that love each other and want to be in the same room as each other. (This is particularly challenging for us as we work together). I also make the time to have coffee with girlfriends cause we all need time with the girls!! I am just getting back into reading books again (more than a magazine article then running of to kids) and loving losing myself in the story!

I also make sure I make special time with my children to enjoy their interests too and develop some interests together. I always make the kids sporting events (unless they clash with each other). I was chastised by Alex last weekend as coming home from his game I wanted to drop in and see Chris in his last 5 minutes. I told him if it was his and it was only 30 seconds I would still be there that is what I do as a mum!!! Chris and Mattea like to cook so we do that together. We also have family movie night once a week and love to watch the amazing race and survivor together. It is sometimes the simple things that makes your heart sing.

If you could have dinner with any 3 people in the world, who would it be and why?

Father (my maternal grandfather) - He was an amazing man! I miss him terribly and he left us for his eternal life over 21 years ago! I was in my last year at school when he passed. He was a gatherer of family. People just came to him.... I would love to know his secret and learn more about our family history and his life in Wales before he migrated to Australia. I would have also loved if he could have met my husband Nick and my children. I am sure he would be proud of all of us!

George Calombaris- I think he is not only a great chef but also has a wicked sense of humour! He would be a laugh at any dinner table. He is also Greek and I would love to learn Greek cooking since my husband is part Greek.

Martha Stewart - I know strange choice I know... but have you watched her on YouTube fold a fitted sheet. Oh that is a skill I just must master!!! A boring one I know but once I want to learn something and find it a challenge I must learn it or it will irritate me until I can! Trust me I have tried a gazillion times to fold a fitted sheet so it doesn't look like some rolled up mess!!!

You run a business that takes you away from home 5 days a week, you have 4 children that all have sporting commitments and you still manage to find time for friends and quality time with your hubby, without neglecting your duties as a Mum.....and I know you still cook great meals! How do you do it?

Having a four children and a business you need to be organised. It is logistics!! I remember the first time we all went out to a picnic at Patonga all six of us and I decided to drop in to Woolies on the way to pick up a few things!! Half a trolley later we got back to the car and I thought...... where am I going to put it!!!! It was shoved under seats and on kids laps etc. Never again!!

It has gotten easier working full time when the children are older!!! I don't know how I did it when they were younger!!

Alex and Chris both now cook dinner once a week for the family. The slow cooker is also my best friend. Nothing better than walking in to smelling dinner almost ready. When I am cooking I generally do a double batch where I can and freeze an extra meal (so much better than takeaway) and if I am cutting up vegies I do it for three or four meals and store them in a container in the fridge until we need them! It's the little things that save so much time later! We are out at Soccer training 4 nights a week so this is where the double batch and freezing helps or the slow cooker and prepared vegies are a saviour!!!

I have a cleaner come in once a week and she cleans for me for 4 hours! We still clean ourselves in between but it is nice knowing it is done all at the same time at least once a week.

The boys also have their daily tasks that they do to their share to contribute to the family home. They unpack and repack the dishwasher, hang out and bring in the washing and also fold!!! Yes not quite to the standard I like but they are getting better and they are contributing! They also know how to pack a healthy lunchbox so no dramas with lunches coming home uneaten!!!

In saying that I also burn the midnight oil quite a bit!! I can't go to bed without feeling I am at least organised for the following day!